Toward improving the condition of the nation's environment, industry as well as the government, have exerted great efforts. One such effort provides that during the transfer of volatile liquids such as gasoline, adequate means be utilized for confining vapors which would otherwise enter and adversely affect the atmosphere.
In the instance of ordinary fuel transfer stations as for boats or automobiles, closed fuel systems have been devised. These in effect assure that during fuel flow there be no vented opening between the storage tank and the vehicle tank whereby vaporized gasoline or other fuel can pass into the atmosphere.
A key part of such systems is generally the nozzle which is removable to and from the vehicle tank. Said nozzles include a resilient or pliable sealing member. Thus, the nozzle when placed in position for a fuel transfer operation, becomes tightly sealed to the tank filler tube, thereby confining the exiting fumes.
During the filling operation, the fumes can be led away and either confined or condensed into liquid. It is both convenient and safe to conduct the fumes directly through the fuel transfer nozzle, and thence into an underground storage means either for holding the fumes or for passing them into stored liquid fuel.
Another aspect toward effectuating the desire to improve the condition of the environment resides in the use of lead-free gasoline in automotive fuels. Many automotive engines are designed to utilize only lead-free gasoline. Such engines are protected by the provision of a means in the engine fuel that permits only the insertion of a particular nozzle configuration which conducts lead-free fuel.
More specifically, the tank filler tube is provided with a transversely positioned baffle spaced down into the filler pipe. The baffle is further provided with an aperture sufficiently small to accommodate only a nozzle of limited size. The aperture is normally closed with a spring-loaded cover which is forced out of the way when the nozzle penetrates the aperture for a fueling operation.
When a larger size nozzle is inserted into the filler pipe, it will be unable to register in the baffle aperture. Thus, discharging of the fuel upstream of the baffle plate will cause an accumulation. Since the ordinary fuel dispensing nozzle is provided with automatic shut-off means, in response to such rise in the fuel level within the pipe the fuel flow will be automatically discontinued. Of further note, in many automobile fuel tanks particularly in the instance of late model vehicles, the baffle is positioned deeper into the filler tube than usual.
In the presently disclosed arrangement, a hand operated fuel nozzle is provided which permits the use of a fuel system carrying nonleaded gas, to be used in any form of vehicle filler pipe designed for lead-free gas. More specifically the fuel nozzle is provided with an extendable sleeve or member which can be manually adjusted to either the extended or the retracted position.
In the extended position the sleeve will reach far enough into a tank filler pipe to register with the aperture in the baffle plate. Such positioning obviates the possibility of fuel accumulation at the upper side of the plate prior to the tank actually becoming filled.
It is an object of the invention therefore to provide a seal tight nozzle adapted to operate in conjunction with a tank filler pipe which is designed to receive only lead-free fuel. A further object is to provide a nozzle having an extendable discharge tube operably carried thereon which will permit the nozzle to be used in a greater number of fuel tanks than would ordinarily be possible with a shorter tube.
Toward achieving these objectives, the invention provides in essence a fuel dispensing nozzle adapted for manual operation by being inserted into a fuel tank filler tube which normally received a lead-free gas. The nozzle is sealably, although removably engaged with the tank filler pipe by means of a resilient member which additionally provides passage for vapors which are displaced from the tank during a filling operation.
An extendable sleeve operably carried on the nozzle discharge tube when in the advanced position, loosely registers within the corresponding aperture formed in the filler pipe baffle. The nozzle is thereby properly positioned to accomplish the desired fuel transfer operation.